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Emergency Numbers in Korea: 112, 119, 1330 and More (2026)

Checked against official sources on October 20, 2026

People waiting at a bus stop beside traffic on a Korean city street

Summary

In Korea, call 112 for police and 119 for fire, ambulance or rescue. You can ask for an interpreter by saying 'English please', and the 119 ambulance is free in emergencies. As of October 2026 the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (+82-2-1330 from abroad) answers in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese 24 hours a day, and in Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian from 08:00 to 19:00. Call 1345 for immigration questions.

At a glance

Police
112
Fire and ambulance
119 (ambulance free)
Travel hotline
1330 (+82-2-1330 from abroad)
Immigration
1345, weekdays 09:00–22:00
Interpreter
Say English please

Korean for this

  • 도와주세요!

    dowajuseyo!

    Help!

  • 구급차 불러 주세요

    gugeupcha bulleo juseyo

    Please call an ambulance

  • 병원에 가야 해요

    byeongwone gaya haeyo

    I need to go to a hospital

  • 경찰 불러 주세요

    gyeongchal bulleo juseyo

    Please call the police

  • 급해요!

    geupaeyo!

    It's urgent!

  • 길을 잃었어요

    gireul ireosseoyo

    I'm lost

All Korean phrases

Details

Korea has separate numbers for police, fire and ambulance, travel help and immigration. All of them have some foreign-language support. Save the ones below before you arrive, and know what to say when you call.

Before you start

Save these numbers in your phone:

Number For From abroad
112 Police: crime, theft, traffic accidents, missing people 112
119 Fire, ambulance, rescue; also medical advice and open hospitals and pharmacies 119
1330 Korea Travel Hotline: travel information, interpretation, tourist complaints +82-2-1330
1345 Immigration Contact Center: visas, stay, immigration questions +82-1345
1339 KDCA call center: infectious diseases (not an emergency line) +82-2-2633-1339
1577-2600 Incheon Airport customer center (07:00–22:00) Not listed

Also prepare:

  • Your accommodation address in Korean, as text you can read out or show
  • Your embassy's emergency number
  • Your travel insurer's 24-hour assistance number
  • the Emergency Ready App, the government's safety app for foreigners

Step by step: calling 112 or 119

Step 1 — Call and ask for your language

Dial 112 or 119. When the call connects, say "English please" or "Interpreter please". VisitKorea says the operator will connect a professional interpreter. 112 has run English and Chinese interpretation 24 hours a day since March 2024. Seoul's city portal lists 119 interpretation in English, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian and Vietnamese, around the clock.

Useful Korean if the line is busy: 도와주세요dowajuseyoPlease help me and 영어 통역 부탁해요yeongeo tongyeok butakaeyoEnglish interpreter, please.

Step 2 — Say where you are

Location matters most. Give one of these:

  • a building name or shop sign nearby
  • the subway station and exit number, for example "Myeongdong Station, Exit 6"
  • the street address from your map app
  • your phone's GPS location, if the operator asks you to share it

Step 3 — Say what happened

Keep it short: who is hurt, how many people, and whether there is fire, violence or a traffic accident.

Step 4 — Stay on the line and keep your phone on

Let paramedics or police find you. If you are inside a building, send someone to the street to wave them in.

Step 5 — If you cannot talk

112 also accepts text message reports. The government's emergency report app, 긴급신고 바로앱gingeup singo baro aepEmergency report app, sends reports to 112 and 119. At launch in May 2023 it supported English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino.

The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline

Run by the Korea Tourism Organization, 1330 offers travel information, interpretation and help with tourist complaints.

  • Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese: 24 hours
  • Russian, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay/Indonesian: 08:00–19:00
  • From a Korean number dial 1330. From a foreign number dial +82-2-1330.
  • VisitKorea also offers 1330 chat in the browser, messenger links and a free internet call over Wi-Fi.

Immigration questions: 1345

The Immigration Contact Center answers questions on visas, length of stay and immigration rules.

  • Weekdays 09:00–22:00, closed on public holidays. The Ministry of Justice says it serves 20 languages.
  • After 18:00, only Korean, English and Chinese.
  • From abroad, the Ministry's English page gives +82-1345. HiKorea gives +82-2-1345.
  • HiKorea notes that the call is charged.

Lost items

On the Seoul subway. Stations register found items on the police online system, Police Minwon24. Items then go to a Seoul Metro lost and found center within 7 days. If unclaimed, they move to a police station, which keeps them for 6 months. The centers, open weekdays 09:00–18:00, are:

Lines Center Phone
1, 2 City Hall Station 02-6110-1122
3, 4 Chungmuro Station 02-6110-3344
5, 8 Wangsimni Station 02-6311-6765 or 02-6311-6768
6, 7 Taereung-ipgu Station 02-6311-6766 or 02-6311-6767
9 Sports Complex Station 02-2656-0787

Anywhere else. Search found items or report a loss on the police online service, Police Minwon24 (경찰민원24gyeongchal minwon isipsaPolice online services, minwon24.police.go.kr), under 분실물 신고bunsilmul singoReport a lost item and 습득물 검색seupdeungmul geomsaekSearch found items. You may still see the older name LOST112. Ask 1330 to help if the site is only in Korean.

In a taxi. Keep your receipt, which helps identify the car. Call 1330 or 112 for help.

Your passport. Contact your embassy, which issues replacement or emergency travel documents. Ask whether it needs a police report of the loss.

Emergency alert texts

Korean phones receive emergency alert texts (재난문자jaenan munjaEmergency alert text) with a loud tone. Since 2024, the most urgent alerts include the disaster type in English. These include air raids, evacuation orders, earthquakes, tsunamis, heavy rain, radiation and terrorism. We found no official statement on whether foreign SIM cards or roaming phones receive them.

The Emergency Ready App fills the gap. The Ministry of Justice (September 2024) says it translates alert texts into English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese. It also lists embassy contacts. VisitKorea (October 2025) says it works in 14 languages and connects to 119.

Your embassy

Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists foreign embassies in Korea under "Foreign Missions in ROK" on its English site. Save your embassy's after-hours number. Some governments also run traveler registration schemes; check your own government's travel advice.

Hours and languages at a glance

Service Hours (as of October 2026) Languages besides Korean
112 police 24 hours English and Chinese interpretation, 24 hours
119 fire and ambulance 24 hours Interpreter on request; Seoul lists English, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Vietnamese
1330 travel hotline 24 hours English, Japanese, Chinese 24 hours; Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay/Indonesian 08:00–19:00
1345 immigration Weekdays 09:00–22:00 20 languages; only English and Chinese after 18:00
1339 KDCA 24 hours Through three-way calls with 1330 or 1345

Common problems

  • Dialing 1339 for an emergency. 1339 has been an infectious disease line since 2012. Call 119.
  • Trusting old numbers online. Some guides list outdated hours for 112 interpretation. Use official pages.
  • Not knowing your address. Save it in Korean before you go out.
  • Calling 1330 for a medical emergency. 1330 is for travel help. In an emergency, call 119 first.
  • Only one phone. Write the key numbers and your hotel address on paper too.

Questions and answers

Is the ambulance free?

Yes. The 119 ambulance is free in emergencies anywhere in Korea. Hospital treatment is not. See pharmacy and hospital.

What is the difference between 1330 and 1345?

1330 is for travel: directions, interpretation, complaints. 1345 is for immigration: visas, stay length and entry rules.

Who helps if I am scammed or overcharged?

Call 112 for crime. For tourist complaints such as overcharging, call 1330. KTO also runs a complaint site at touristcomplaint.or.kr.

What should I do in an earthquake or air-raid drill?

Follow the alert text and the instructions of staff around you. The Emergency Ready App explains what to do for each type of disaster.

Official sources (20)

Last checked October 20, 2026Next check due April 18, 2027

Rules can change. Confirm on the official site before you travel.

Next stepGetting Sick in Korea: Pharmacies, Night Options and ERs (2026)

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